Conventionally, a printing system where terminals, such as personal computers and workstation, are connected with printers (printing apparatuses) by using a network has been in use. In such a system, the printers are adapted not only for printout according to a printing job transmitted from a terminal, but also for informing the terminal of the completion of the printout.
Moreover, in a system with a plurality of terminals, documents may be distributed among the users at the terminals via printers (Net Distribution). Usually, net distribution is adapted so that the printing job for printing out the documents for the distribution is transmitted to the printers, and a message (a Distribution Message) is delivered to the terminals of the distribution receivers to request them to pick up the documents to be output at the printers.
A system for this type of net distribution is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Tokukaihei No. 7-162590 (published on Jun. 23, 1995), in which, for easy net distribution, the transmission of a distribution message to the terminals of distribution receivers, as well as the output of documents, is performed by the printer receiving a printing job. The system is also arranged so that a printing job may be spooled inside the printer, adjourning the printout of documents.
The system described in the foregoing publication, however, has no means to protect the printing job spooled inside the printer. Therefore, even a person other than the users at the terminals which received the distribution message may be able to output the documents by using the printing job spooled inside the printer. This makes net distribution unsuitable for the distribution of secret documents such as important documents and confidential letters and the like which must be delivered to specified distribution receivers.